Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring

Is it possible to measure blood sugar levels without actually having the needle penetrate the skin? Or could it be possible in the near future? Is this a topic scientists and researchers are looking into?

Is it possible to measure blood sugar levels without actually having the needle penetrate the skin? Or could it be possible in the near future? Is this a topic scientists and researchers are looking into?

Non-invasive blood glucose (BG) monitoring has been sort of a holy grail for decades, given the enormous demand in both numbers and the positive impact it would bring to diabetics who otherwise have to prick their fingers a half dozen times a day.

Non-invasive technologies under development by companies include:

measuring BG based on interstitial fluid below conjunctiva of the eye

light-based BG measurement of levels in the eye

an undetermined method to read BG via arterial pulse

technology using Raman spectroscopy

technology using fluorescence spectroscopy

technology using mid infrared

technologies using near infrared

technology using bioelectromagnetic resonance

photoacoustic spectroscopy

These are most of the options that are under study, but there are certainly more. These types have been developed enough that companies are actually pursuing them commercially, but there remains a significant gap between what can be demonstrated in research and what is practical (including being affordable) for routine use by diabetics.

It is also worth noting that many, though not all, of these technologies would require periodic (sometimes daily) confirmation by conventional fingerstick BG measurement.

Author

I serve the interests of medical technology company decision-makers, venture-capitalists, and others with interests in medtech producing worldwide analyses of medical technology markets for my audience of mostly medical technology companies (but also rapidly growing audience of biotech, VC, and other healthcare decision-makers). I have a small staff and go to my industry insiders (or find new ones as needed) to produce detailed, reality-grounded analyses of current and potential markets and opportunities. I am principally interested in those core clinical applications served by medical devices, which are expanding to include biomaterials, drug-device hybrids and other non-device technologies either competing head-on with devices or being integrated with devices in product development. The effort and pain of making every analysis global in scope is rewarded by my audience's loyalty, since in the vast majority of cases they too have global scope in their businesses.
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